Good link GD. I wonder if Alan & Bruce have been sitting up nights poring over Wikileaks cables. I'm sure they caught this one, but just in case they missed it.
Thursday, 15 March 2007, 10:24
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 04 BEIJING 001760
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
EO 12958 DECL: 03/15/2032
TAGS PGOV, PREL, ECON, SOCI, CH
SUBJECT: FIFTH GENERATION STAR LI KEQIANG DISCUSSES
DOMESTIC CHALLENGES, TRADE RELATIONS WITH AMBASSADOR
REF: SHENYANG 26
Classified By: Ambassador Clark T. Randt, Jr. Reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).
4. (C) GDP figures are "man-made" and therefore unreliable, Li said. When evaluating Liaoning's economy, he focuses on three figures: 1) electricity consumption, which was up 10 percent in Liaoning last year; 2) volume of rail cargo, which is fairly accurate because fees are charged for each unit of weight; and 3) amount of loans disbursed, which also tends to be accurate given the interest fees charged. By looking at these three figures, Li said he can measure with relative accuracy the speed of economic growth. All other figures, especially GDP statistics, are "for reference only," he said smiling.
US embassy cables: Rising star of Chinese communist party reveals personal crusade against corruption | World news | guardian.co.uk